Amalgamating apparatus



(No Model.)

2'SheetsSheet 1. E. H. GOLLINGS. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No. 287,431. v Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

v fivnivr $575M J 5W W 2 She'etsSheet 2.

Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

(No Model.

B. H. GOLLINGS.

. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS. No. 287,431.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOK H. GOLLIN GS, OF LEWVISTON, IDAHO TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND CHARLES H. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,431, dated October so, 1883.

Application filed April 16, 1883. (No model.)

novel features hereinafter set forth.

In.the drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a per spective sectional view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stationary bottom plate.

- Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, broken away to show the return-passage and covering plate. Fig. 4 is a view of the lower rotating disk, showing the ribs. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively perspective and sectional views of the exterior revolving thimble, and Fig. 7 is a pers pective View of the cone-shaped stationary sleeve.

In said drawings, A represents a circular pan, and B a concentric pan placed within the first-named pan, and supported therein by straps 1). Between the bottoms of these pans are two amalgamated surfaced rotating disks, 0 and D, which are preferably connected together, so as to rotate in unison, by any suitable connecting devices, such as rivets 0. Both are supported by a conical thimble, E, secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft, F, operated by gears F F and stepped in ablock or bed, F The thimble rests upon a conical bearing, G, which also serves as a lateral bearing for the shaft F, and is bolted to the outer pan, A, as shown. Surrounding the thimble at alshort distance therefrom is a rim, B, cast upon or attached to the inner pan, and within this rim is another moving rim, 0, attached to the upper disk, 0, by screws 8, so as to be carried thereby. Into the space or chamber on between this latter rim and the thimble the gold-bearing earth or sand is fed, and it passes from thence into the shallow space 0 between the rotating disks. The mercury is fed into the, same space, 0, at the opening from the feed-chamber m by means of the passages H. and Hthat is to say, mercury is first placed in the outer pan until it rises within the annular chamber P between it and the inner pan to a height sufficient to give the pressure requisite to insure its backward flow from said space to the junction of the feed-throat and the disk-space a, and then by the rotation of the disks it is caused to circulate in an endless path in one direction from the feed-throat between the disks into the annular chamber P, and thence back again to the feed-throat through said passages H and H. The passages alluded to, through which this return how of the mercury takes place, are part of them above and-part below the rotating disks, those above being formed of the pipes H, located and supported in the upper pan and connecting with passages it between the rim B and the thickened center a of the upper disk, openings 0 being made in the inner rim, 0, to register with said passages h, and the lower passages, H, being formed in the body of the lower pan, and connecting with passages h in the sleeve-bearing G. The passages ein the thimble register with the passages h.

\Vith the apparatus thus constructed the operation is substantially as follows: The'earth or sand and the mercury are brought together in the feed-throat, andare drawn from thence into the disk-space 0 by the centrifugal action of said disks, and are discharged thereby into the space P. \Vhile undergoing this centrifugal operation the mercury and sand are of course intimately commingled, and when they reach the space P the sand is given an opportunity to rise to the surface of the body of mercury in said space, and may be thence withdrawn either by washing it off, or it may fall over by gravity into the surrounding trough I. From space F the mercury flows back to the feed-throat in obedience to natural laws, as already stated, and comes in contact with and acts upon fresh material. The centrifugal action of the disks creates a' constant current, and the mercury is made to do duty so long as it remains fluid. Such of the mercury as becomes amalgamated with the gold will either seek the bottom of the. space I or be caught in a settling-trough, K, attached to the inner pan, as shown.

IOO

- e will permit.

Of course it will be understood that the return-passages described may be used in such number as is found desirable, and that either the upper or the lower ones may be dispensed with, as judgment may dictate.

It is a fact with which many miners are conversant that if sand, either wet or dry, be admitted below the surface of a body of mercury confined in a vessel, the inner sides of which are not of such material as mercury adheres to, the sand will cling to the vessel and refuse to rise through the mercury to the top, as its lighter gravity would seem to require. My theory of this is that the pressure upon the sand by the mercury causes such friction between the sand and the sides of the vessel that the former cannot rise, but is caused to form a rough coating to the vessel. Thisin turn serves to retain the particles which come af terward in the same manner, and as the sand gradually accumulates in this way it soon'fills the chamber. To obviate this difficulty I line the inner surface of the rim of the outer pan with some metal, 1), to which mercury will adhere, and preferably some metal which it will not consume or dissolve, and thereby prevent the adhesion by the sand to the vessel. Ifind that copper answers very well. The other vertical parts of the chamber I may be lined in the same way, if thought desirable.

At the opening from the space a into the chamber 1?, I prefer to place a perforated deflector, L, which will serve to direct the mercury and sand upwardto some extent, and at the same time will allow them'to flow horizontally, whereby the major part of the mercury is prevented from being agitated to an undesirable degree by the centrifugal force of the disks. It also distributes the sandsmore thoroughly. The under disk is provided with radial ribs d, which compel the mercury to travel with it as it rotates. One of the disksmay be stationary, if preferred, and in such case the ribs should be upon the moving disk, and should vary somewhat from the true radial.

The passages e in the thimble are made as wide horizontally as strength in the divisions The passages H are preferably formed in the body of the outer pan, and they are covered by metal plates a, properly secured thereto.

For convenience in clearing out the apparatus, I make the inner panof two parts, with the joint in the bottom at the point indicated by b, a lap-joint being preferably employed.

This enables me to remove the outer part and get at the chamber P with but little trouble. The pipes H are joined to the pan B and rim B by joints, which permit them to be loosened readily. The outer fan may of course be provided with a tap for drawing off the mercury at any convenient point. The trough I has an outlet, I, whereby it may be flushed out.

I make the surfaces of the centrifugal disks of amalgamated metal for the same reason that the side of the chamber P is thus made,

and thereby insure a smooth and easy fiow of the mercury and sand therethrough. The

thickened center 0 of the upper disk affords a shoulder fitting snugly against the rim B, and prevents the too free escape of the mercury into the space above said disk at the joint between the disk and the rim. The orifices of the return-passages, at the feed-throat end thereof, are contracted, so that they can pass less mercury than the capacity of the passages themselves. In this way I insure the presence at the orifices of all the mercury they can pass, and thus prevent any possible en-. trance of sand or water into said passages.

I claim- 1. Thecombination, in amalgamating apparatus, of the feed-throat, the centrifugal disk or disks rotating without grinding contact, the chamber into which the mercury is discharged by the disks, and independent return-passages for conducting the mercury back to the feed-throat, substantially as specified.

2. Thetombination, in amalgamating apparatus, with the centrifugal devices rotating without grinding contact, and the annular chamber into which the mercury and sand are discharged by said centrifugal devices, of independent return-passages adapted to conduct the mercury back from said chamber to the center of the centrifugal devices, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in amalgamating apparatus, of the feed-throat to which the sand and mercury are admitted, the two centrlfugal disks rotating inunison without grinding contact, having the shallow space 0, opening from the throat at the center, and a chamber into which the mercury and sand are dis charged by said centrifugal devices, substantially as specified. l

4. In combination with the non-grinding centrifugal devices of an amalgamator of the kind herein shown, an annular separatingchamber, P, adapted to permit the separation of the mercury and the sand, and provided with a side surface to which mercury adheres, and with openings or exits for each of the separated materials, substantially as specified.

5. In combinationwith the non-grinding centrifugal devices of an amalgamator of the kind herein shown, an annular separatingchamber, I, adapted to permitthe separation 0f the mercury and the sand, and provided with separate exits for both, substantially as specified. v

6. The combination of the outer and inner pans, the disks, the actuating-shaft, the bearing-sleeve, and the thimble, substantially as specified.

' 7. The amalgamating apparatus consisting of the outer and inner pans, the disks, the

actuating-shaft, the thimble, the bearing sleeve, and the return-passages, substantially as specified.

s. The combinatiomwith the disks and their actuating-shaft, of the thimble and the sleeve,

both sleeve and thimble having registering having thepassages h communicating withthe passages therethrough, substantially as speciopenings 6, and the returnpassage H, comfied. municating with the passages in the sleeve, r5 4 9. The combination, withv the disks and substantially as specified. 5 chamber P, of the annular perforated deflector 12. The return-passages provided with con- L, substantially as specified. tracted orifices at the feed-throat, substan- 10. The inner pan, made in two parts for the tially as specified. purpose specified, in combination with the Dated Chicago, Illinois, March 29, 1883.

other parts of the apparatus, substantially as ELLIOK H. GOLLINGS. 10 set forth. 7 Witnesses:

11. In amalgamating apparatus, the thim- H. M. MUNDAY,

ble having the opening e, the sleeve-bearing T. EVERETT BROWN. 

